'MOST AGGRESSIVE' APAC CYBER THREAT GROUP HAS SRI LANKA IN ITS SIGHTS – KASPERSKY

Sri Lanka has been identified as a key target for SideWinder, dubbed “the most aggressive threat in APAC” by global cybersecurity giant Kaspersky.

- By NISHEL FERNANDO

The advanced persistent threat (APT) group, known for its relentless cyber espionage campaigns, has added the island nation to its growing list of targets across the Asia-Pacific region, according to findings presented at Kaspersky’s Cyber Security Weekend in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Unmasking the operations of top-tier APT actors, Noushin Shabab, Lead Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT), highlighted how SideWinder and other threat groups are persistently targeting state secrets, military intelligence, and critical infrastructure in the region.

SideWinder’s operations have consistently focused on government, military, and diplomatic entities, with a persistent interest in the maritime and logistics sectors. The group’s geographic reach includes Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

More recently, the group has also directed attention towards nuclear power plants and energy facilities across South Asia.